Testimonials

“The client is ecstatic. Having you guys involved with the positioning was amazing. You blew them away, we’re so happy with it. Positioning is creative but it’s different, it’s way more than following a formula. Ed can see things from a different angle because of his business experience. I was nervous that I may not be able to hit on a good position again, even though I have done it before. When you guys said that you could alleviate the scary part, it was very comforting.

It was 110% worth the investment. I knew Ed would take his time and do the positioning part right. He engaged my clients and was respectful. Then, BOOM, he got us where we needed to go. It was fascinating to watch. Also, because I knew the positioning was being handled by my mentors, I was also able to learn and build my confidence during the session, which has grown tremendously. And I was able to focus on other things. You also wrapped it up very slick, so we could continue the conversation and brainstorm behind closed doors.

I couldn’t do it without you. The process itself is unbelieveable. The more you do it, the more familiar you become and the more simple the process becomes to you, but to the client it is still unbelievably powerful. My clients take this very seriously and change their businesses because of the branding process.

I charged a lot for this work, and I know my client got a good deal. I am very, very happy I brought you in to facilitate the positioning.”

—Bob, New York, positioning consulting 2017

“This is something I have given a lot of thought to but never have been able to wrangle my thoughts into a cohesive, comprehensive process like this. Also, I really appreciated the real-world proposals, case histories and reports you shared with us showing actual language and numbers. I find that very valuable because it makes what I learned ‘real’ and brings it all ‘down to earth’ for me. A big item that sold me on the workshop to begin with is the handbook with scripts, questionnaires, and worksheets that I can now go back to and reference when needed.

I never enjoy preparing for any presentation, but I think the certification presentation exercise was an important exercise and recognize the value of practicing. It was helpful to go through the scenarios and get feedback.

The workshop is great b/c it provides a step-by-step branding process that is proven, smart and clearly mapped out—yet flexible to make your own. The input and stories shared by Marcia and Ed, the real-world examples of proposals and reports, the handbook, the scripts—all make the process very tangible. This is just what we needed.”

—Christian Drury, Brightwell, Hoboken, NJ, workshop attendee 2017

“I enjoyed the exercise portion of the workshop. I think it really solidified many of the concepts in my mind, and it helped me recognize which parts I didn’t fully understand and which parts I expect I’ll need to work on. I also appreciated the two different approaches and the flexibility of the process. The info was indeed awesome.”

—Justin Sapp, Brightwell, Hoboken, NJ, workshop attendee 2017

“I found you through a HOW branding course, and started implementing what I learned there. Clients loved it and I knew it would help if I could learn more. I’ve been focusing on brand identity for a few years and agree with what you say about design becoming a commodity—so I knew the next step for me was to become a brand strategist.

I like that you gave me a workable template. I knew some of this, but I needed confidence that I can actually do this. The workshop gave me the tools and the confidence to go do it. It was definitely helpful in reshaping my mind and giving me tools to make a lot more money. Time will tell the true difference it makes, but right now it seems pretty exciting. I appreciate you guys having the desire and putting in the work to share this and help other people.”

—Dustin, workshop attendee 2017

“I’ve been on your website at least 1000 times before deciding to register for the workshop. I feel really good about the design side, but I wanted to amp up the value of the strategic conversation—I wanted to get better at talking with clients about the value of design and branding.

It’s tough to reduce my favourite part of the workshop to just one thing, it’s a mix of things: learning about the branding process (practical & applicable knowledge), paired with Marcia’s and Ed’s actual project examples, and the little tidbits you pick up during informal conversation between sections make it a great experience.

The workshop is worth the investment. I think a lot of the value is obviously in the fact that you are sharing a proven process, but equally as much in the confidence that you provide the participants with to be able to go out and execute it. There’s also great value in the information and education provided around what branding really is and the knowledge and experience that you both bring to the workshop.

I just want to thank you both so much for all of the effort you put into this workshop. I’m really excited to put this information to use and really make it my own. Thank you!”

—workshop attendee 2017

“I would have never imagined I’d feel as confident and capable to not only present myself as a brand educator, but also to solicit over $20,000 in proposals, all within a month of completing the training! Because I was already scheduled to present to a referral group within days of finishing the workshop, I was able to quickly apply what I’d learned and turn my talk from run-of-the-mill “About Me” into a helpful Branding 101 session. As a result of the talk, I lined up three separate branding presentations, one of which resulted in the sale of the full branding process for $10,000! With the others, I proposed we break the process up—just as you taught us to do—and I actually charged well for the work. And, I’ve been asked to speak again in two weeks about branding.

I love the creative aspects of being a graphic designer, but prior to the workshop, my work had yet to elicit many groundbreaking “AHA’s!” for clients or solidly impact the way they do business and approach marketing investments. Now, having an objective, proven process means I don’t have to spin my creative wheels for free anymore. It makes it 1,000 times easier to present tangible solutions that will be so much more valuable to them than me banging my creative head on the desk and struggling to get an actionable plan in motion.”

“One of my biggest takeaways from the workshop was not to take information the client gives you at face value—you have to dig deeper. I can now look at client challenges and recognize the disconnect, and I’m excited to have new tools to help them solve their branding problems. And there are LOTS of other nuggets of information and tools that have elevated the value of my services. Thanks Marcia & Ed for sharing your process. I’m so glad to have participated and it was worth every cent.”

“Hello Marcia & Ed,
I wanted you both to know that I have had 3 opportunities to use what I learned from both of you last week with clients that are asking questions. I would not be as confident and knowledgable to answer them if I had not taken your workshop. I would tell others to take the workshop. I learned so much and it gave me the confidence I needed.”

—Marilyn Trent, Trent Creative, Rochester, MI, workshop attendee 2016

“My favorite part was seeing the lights go on for my team members. I would tell others that it’s enormously practical and that, with a bit of practice, it will add to their revenue streams.”

—workshop attendee 2016

“I definitely credit Brand Academy for the confidence I now have to present a full $20k branding proposal, and that has elevated me in the eyes of my clients.”

—workshop attendee 2016

“Going in, I was not looking forward to the group work on the presentation, but that proved to be fantastic! It made everything gel. Definitely worth the investment. It opens up a whole new (and better) way of doing business. Thanks!”

—Craig Gunter, INCA Graphic, Matawan, NJ, workshop attendee 2016

“Fantastic value in knowledge, processes, and support documentation.”

—Joanne Reid, RedTrain, Kingston, ON, Canada, workshop attendee 2016

“This course is life changing. If you have a passion for branding and want to stand out from other designers, take this course. I really loved the small group atmosphere and partner presentation—it made everything real.”

“It’s important for our success to stay at the forefront in branding, and Brand Academy did not disappoint. The content was excellent with very organized presentation of the material. I appreciated Marcia and Ed’s transparency in sharing details from their own processes. The virtual classroom was very successful.”

“As a web designer with a formal education in graphics as well as one in psychology—just wanted to let you know that your webinars were great—packed full of information and sprinkled with inspiration. Just what designers need.

I was most interested in your take on psychology and emotions. I’ve always thought this was the most important first step in branding, logo development, marketing. But it too often never happens. So we end up creating a logo or marketing material out of thin air. OR because someone has a color or font preference. What a shame.

I’ve given many workshops on branding personality from a combination psychology/anthropological/marketing view point. Your point was well made about how we see in patterns, and why branding works. I quite often use Pavlov’s dogs as a psych example. By pairing our human needs and values with something totally unrelated—such as a logo or marketing material—this combined with frequency and consistency seems to be an effective, alternative way to explain how branding triggers human needs, values and emotions. The trick of course, is to determine how to trigger the emotions, and which work the best. But that’s also the most fun!

“Sometimes, you just need a little kick in the pants and a ‘what are you waiting for’ in order to get things done! Coaching sessions with Ed and Marcia prompted me to think about new ways of building business, and got me moving on my first webinar. Over 60% of the participants were new to my business, and a number of them wanted me to follow up with them about their projects. I call that a success!”

“Hi Marcia and Ed, Great news! I landed my first official branding project with an existing client. They are paying the full $20,000 and this was exactly what they seem to need. I received several compliments at the end of our meeting, people thought it was great. It was fascinating to watch the process unfold, especially when they began get into intense debates regarding their brand. People really started to feel how important branding is. As an extra plus, they’re now talking app development, rebranding, website redesign . . . the list goes on. It all played out exactly like you said it would.

I’m also happy I invested in the coaching. After listening to the recording I realize how priceless your advice was. Thanks for all of your help! I can honestly say that deciding to go to the HOW Conference (where I heard you speak) was the best business move I have ever made.”

—Abraham, Brooklyn, NY, workshop attendee 2015

“I now see the need to clearly define our firm as a branding consultancy, instead of as our creative solutions—like annual reports and websites. I’ve been doing branding as a part of our design process for years, but I really need to separate our branding process from the design process, and charge for its value rather than time spent. So I’ve been taking my talking points and I’m doing everything I can to bring up branding somehow, some way, with every potential client or connection I can—I told about 7 people yesterday about our firm being certified as brand experts.I’ve already made a pitch using what I learned at your awesome workshop and have several more lined up—and I haven’t even been home from the workshop a full week!

Also, I’m so glad I bought the handbook. It’s been so incredibly helpful to me as I write proposals. It helps me think through my strategy so that I can write an accurate and intelligible proposal.”

“We’re in a tough, competitive market. We know our work can go head-to-head with anyone else’s, but we lacked a process to get to the next level. I heard Marcia and Ed speak at HOW Conference and listened to their webinars, and knew I wanted to do the workshop—and now, after the workshop, it’s really sinking in. I feel confident now, with the detailed strategies Marcia and Ed shared, to win the projects we want and be able to guide our clients strategically.”

—April 2015 workshop participant

“I put Marcia through the wringer about the value of the workshop before deciding to go because it was a big investment, and I’m so glad I went. It was really valuable to see both styles of using the process from the way Marcia and Ed present, and the close community they attract was so comfortable, energizing, and conducive to learning and inspiration. I knew the pieces were out there, I just didn’t know the entire structure—and I’m not going to give away strategy anymore.”

“Wow—I had a great experience today with a new prospect, a family company with 18 branches, $50 million in sales, and ready to move up in growth. Where I usually stumble explaining the branding so therefore head straight to design, I didn’t feel I needed to lean on design this time—in fact, design isn’t even part of the discussion yet. I was able to secure a contract for branding at $20k as I was able to show the value of the process on its own merit, and then I was able to add additional revenue of $16k for design after the branding process was complete. If this had occurred before, I would have done many of the branding steps while I was putting the design together without receiving the additional compensation—doing most of the work for half of the income!

While in the meeting, another participant said she didn’t know I did this kind of work, and asked if she could call me on Monday about branding for a non-profit she’s involved with. So this is just the beginning! Your process works, your teaching works, EVERYTHING about this just works!

I was looking for a way to get better at sales, and this is it. It’s like learning a new language—I know I’ll get taken more seriously now on the CEO side. And I’m realizing now how many of our clients really truly get it wrong. Now I can help them. I cannot thank you both enough!”

“This workshop has made me so much more confident. I thought I had the principles down because I read the Handbook before I came, but now it’s really starting to gel. I know I can help my clients with this process. I’m so glad Angelo (husband and past workshop attendee) made me come.”

—Gina Rombley, BEO-Studios, Cranston, RI,workshop attendee 2015

“Marcia, I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ in a big way. The coaching with you and Ed has helped me immeasurably. I appreciate all the work you did behind the scenes to provide me with the answers and information I needed. I honestly couldn’t have made it this far with my university client without you.”

“I told Marcia and Ed that I was expecting a lot from the branding workshop, and I was not disappointed. The value well exceeded the investment and I’ll be able to use this information immediately. It’s an epiphany that I haven’t been charging for my strategic work—no giving it away anymore! And, the ‘Ed and Marcia Show’ was fun!”

“Extremely valuable process, especially for our future clients. I think from now on we will serve them better. I foresee our clients will reap benefits in the millions of dollars from this process. It’s a no-brainer decision! I’m extremely happy I found Ed and Marcia.”

—Sergio Luna, Rojo 032, San Antonio, TX, private mentoring 2015

“I’ve been selling branding strategy for awhile but didn’t have the full structure I needed. Your process provides a wonderful structure. It makes it easier for me to work with my clients. And the Handbook is very thorough, it’s all in there. You guys did a great job of explaining how it all works, and I can use this right away in my business. Thank you both so much, I’m very happy to have gone through this process with you.”

“The workshop was very interactive and fun, and the value was tremendous. I learned so much from Marcia and Ed and will be able to add a great service that will really help my clients. I admit I was a bit skeptical, so my biggest aha during the three days was that this is a real process, and I can do it.I’m so glad I attended!”

—James Smith, Design Infinitum, Portland, OR, workshop attendee 2014

“A client asked me to put together a branding proposal to be followed by a presentation to her committee as soon as I got back home and talked to her about what I had learned. Wow—I could never have had this conversation if I hadn’t attended your workshop! Thank you!“

“This was a very practical workshop that gives me concrete tools with which to do branding. It’s useful and practical information. It was a really good few days and I am looking forward to implementing what I learned.”

—R K, Toronto, ON, workshop attendee 2014

“I came back so pumped and excited, that I kept Mike up for hours. You’re empowering me and I appreciate that. If anyone is serious about being a branding strategist, then learning a successful process will help.”

“This is much more than I expected. I didn’t know that all of the ad agencies didn’t have a formal strategic branding process—I thought I was at a disadvantage. I’m sending my wife to your next workshop. I am not giving her a choice!”

“Already, on the flight home from the workshop, I was offered a speaking gig on branding by using one of the tips I learned from Marcia and Ed. And I know I can do it because I now have the confidence and information I was missing before. This is by far the best money I’ve ever spent on my business.”

—Pamela Saxon, Saxon Design, Nashville, TN, workshop attendee 2014

“Marcia and Ed were absolutely great in helping me see that as a graphic designer, I have so much more to offer a company than just purely graphic design work. I had been looking to expand my offerings for a while and Marcia and Ed were instrumental in guiding us in showing our value as a branding partner to any company that wants to take their game to the next level. The workshop was just as fun as it was uber informative!”

“This workshop allowed me to take all of these pieces (a lot of which I was already using), show me their true value, and then line them up in such a comprehensive & simple process that I can sell to my clients.

It’s so genius—and it makes so much sense. I don’t know why everyone isn’t doing it.”

“I just want to tell you I got a lot out of this workshop. I loved the mix of people from different areas of the country and the participatory aspect. It was well done . . . the quality of the information, the way you challenged our assumptions. I really loved it. It was just what I needed.”

“Very open about process + pricing, things other
designers rarely share, very generous with knowledge.”

“Totally worth it — go!”

Emails

“I saw you present at HOW which left quite an impact on me. Your presentation resonated with me the most out of the entire conference.”

—Alex

“I have seen all of your webinars through HOW and think you are brilliant. I want to attend your workshop, but since I am just graduating this month, don’t think I can swing it by then. However, if there is an additional date that I can start saving and planning for that would be awesome. Thank you!”

—Tonya

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What Our Students Say:

"This course is life changing. If you have a passion for branding and want to stand out from other designers, take this course."
—Chris Corridore, Corridore Creative, Hauppauge, NY, workshop attendee 2016

"Extremely valuable process, especially for our future clients. I think from now on we will serve them better. I foresee our clients will reap benefits in the millions of dollars from this process. It's a no-brainer decision! I'm extremely happy I found Ed and Marcia."
—Sergio Luna, Rojo 032, San Antonio, TX, private mentoring client 2015

"I was looking for a way to get better at sales, and this is it. It’s like learning a new language—I know I’ll get taken more seriously now on the CEO side. Your process works, your teaching works, EVERYTHING about this just works! I cannot thank you both enough!”
—CJ Higginbotham, Leap Creative Services, Orlando, FL, workshop attendee 2015

“Marcia, I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ in a big way. The coaching with you and Ed has helped me immeasurably. I honestly couldn’t have made it this far with my university client without you.”
—Julia Reich, Stone Soup Creative, Terre Haute, IN, private mentoring and workshop attendee 2015

“I told Marcia and Ed that I was expecting a lot from the branding workshop, and I was not disappointed. The value well exceeded the investment and I’ll be able to use this information immediately. It’s an epiphany that I haven’t been charging for my strategic work—no giving it away anymore! And, the ‘Ed and Marcia Show’ was fun!”
—Damon Andersen, Creative Reservoir, Omaha, NE, workshop attendee 2015

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